The present invention relates to a cassette loading mechanism for a cassette type magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus, and, more particularly, to a cassette loading mechanism capable of using a plurality of types of cassettes of different sizes.
Magnetic recording/reproducing apparatuses (VTRs) have been proposed which include a cassette loading mechanism capable of loading cassettes regardless of the size or type of the cassette, with the loading mechanism being capable of using a small cassette by arranging the structure of the cassette loading mechanism in such a manner that the small cassette is inserted into an adapter cassette whose size is the same as that of the large size cassette and the adapter is inserted into the cassette loading mechanism. However, another cassette loading mechanism has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-146263 in which the small cassette is directly inserted into the cassette loading mechanism.
However, in the cassette loading mechanism of the type described above, the passage through which the cassette holder moves is the same in both the case where the large cassette is used and the case where the small cassette is used. Therefore, the position at which the cassette holder stops finally during the cassette ejection operation is also nearly the same in both the case where the large cassette is used and the case where the small cassette is used.
The cassette loading mechanism of the type described above is arranged in such a manner that the small cassette pro]ects over the cassette insertion port by a proper length with which at least the small cassette can be readily held and pulled out of the cassette insertion port after the cassette holder has stopped its movement when it is desired to pull out the cassette.
As described above, the passage through which the cassette holder moves is the same in both the case where the large cassette is used and the case where the small cassette is used. Therefore, a user feels uneasiness and is concerned about the reliability of the mechanism since the cassette projects excessively over the cassette insertion port when the large cassette is used.